Ripples in the World
by Falkyn's Flight
Summary: For those who love my Change the World and want to see more. Will include chapters from the point of view of other characters, minor and secondary characters, omakes, original characters and more. At the beginning of each chapter I will state where it falls into the storyline and any warnings.
1. Flowers of Mai

Flowers of Mai

Mai was raised as the daughter of a high ranking lord and lady in the court, she knows the most intimate secrets of the court but most importantly, she remembers a young Azula. An Azula who at one time had wept after her brother was banished. A one-shot companion piece for my story Change the World.

* * *

Mai wasn't stupid, she was very intelligent and she knew it. So when Azula appeared at her door that day she knew that everything was about to change. Her assumptions were only supported when she saw Ty Lee standing beside the princess. Ty Lee, Azula and Mai herself had been raised together. Ty Lee had been selected to be the princess's playmate, Mai however had been forced to spend time around the castle for the sole purpose of meeting her future husband. The very day Mai had been born her father and the Fire Lord had created an arranged marriage between the noble and the crown prince. It wasn't uncommon and Mai had been raised knowing that one day Zuko would be her husband. Judging from the way that he looked at her, Zuko knew too and wasn't quite sure what to do with the information.

"Please say you're here to kill me." She stated in a monotone voice, bowing formally to the two girls. She peered upwards to see Azula smile. For an instant she thought her friend was finally back.

"It's good to see you too Mai." Azula said, stepping forward to pull her into an embrace, laughing at the familiar joke.

"Mai!" Ty Lee cried, unable to stop herself from running to her friend and hugging her.

"Ty Lee?" She asked in pretend shock, "What are you doing here? I thought you had ran off and joined some circus. You said it was your calling." Ty Lee, ever the physical one of the group bounced forward and hugged her older friend.

"I did, but Azula called louder." Mai knew right away what that meant. Azula had terrorized Ty Lee into joining her, threatening the acrobat in a way that only Azula or her father could have conceived of. It made Mai wonder what would have happened if Azula hadn't ever started bending the blue fire, the sign of a true prodigy. In an instant Fire Lord Ozai had snapped his daughter up, pulling her out of the private tutelage from some of the best fire bending teachers in the nation and taking her under his own wing. Azula had only been eight years old. Just like that Azula had begun to change. Sure she had been cold, proud and manipulative before but under her father's private teachings that part of Azula grew stronger and the girl Mai knew had changed before her very eyes. Despite Azula's manipulative nature she had a kinder side, she was brutally honest to what she believed no matter who it hurt and she didn't care what others thought of her. Two potential strengths that had been changed dramatically by her father. Azula had changed, she began to strive for perfection, not even a speck of dust could ever touch her clothes. Her manipulation techniques began to take a sinister feel, as if she didn't care who got hurt and who didn't and she began to lie.

The last time Mai had ever seen the real Azula was after Zuko was banished. Mai had been expressly forbidden by her father to see the Agni Kai between the prince and his father but she learned about it soon enough. Azula had come to her house, her eyes full of emotions that Mai had not seen in almost a year. Sadness, distress, frustration. All of them were there in plain view. Mae had listened in growing horror as Azula relayed what had occurred, how Zuko was too weak to fight. Azula had tried to sound like she didn't care but it was clear that she was lost. She even admitted to hiring a boat and crew for Zuko and uncle Iroh from her allowance that she had been raising for some time. Mai didn't know what Azula had been saving up for but she was sure it wasn't a boat and crew. She had watched Azula's face carefully as the young girl tried to hide behind the guise of giving her brother a false hope. She even laughed when she said that the boat would make him believe that he had a chance of catching the avatar. Yet as Azula turned away Mae had no doubt in her mind that the shine on her friend's face was from a tear.

"I have a mission," Azula stated, tearing Mai from her thoughts, "And I need you both." Mai smiled, she was truly bored of this place. All the green was giving her a headache. Besides she had never been one who was willing to live a monotonous life.

"Count me in, I'll do anything to get out of this place." She paused and gestured at the stairs leading her her father's new manner.

"Would you care to come in?" Azula nodded and the three of them walked up the stairs. Ty Lee, unable to resist back flipped onto the railing and began walking there.

* * *

Mai couldn't help but flinch when Azula looked down at her parents. She wasn't to worried though, no one expected her to have emotions with the way she dressed and acted and people tended to only see what they wanted to. She had been trained as a little girl to be quiet and pretty, besides that nothing else really mattered. After some debate with her parents she had managed to convince her father that she needed to learn how to protect herself, after all the palace guards wouldn't always be around and with her as the future fire lady that made her a prime target for those who wished to do their nation harm. Her father had finally agreed, giving her permission to find someone to teach her how to defend herself. That had been his first mistake. With the free reign he had given her Mai found someone who would teach her the art of knife throwing. A skill usually taught only to assassins, a skill that no noble woman had any right knowing. By the time her parents had discovered what had happened Mai had already mastered three types of knives and was well on her way to a fourth. It turned out that she was an incredible marksman, one that the Yu Yan archers would have been interested in if she hadn't been a high ranking noble.

"I apologize," Her father stated softly, kneeling on a cushion far below Azula's feet, showing the princess to be far superior to them.

"You've come to Omashu at a terrible time." He continued, "At noon we are meeting the resistance to get Tom-tom back." Mai would never admit it out loud but Tom-tom had really been her saving grace. After Zuko had been banished her parents had become desperate to find her a husband. However many of the potential suitors had been nervous, even terrified to approach her. Her fashion, emotionless tone and expression coupled with the fact that she should have been the next fire lady made her less than desirable and the few men who did pursue her did so for vulgar purposes. She was quick to show those particular men her skill. The truth was, she had been the Prince's betrothed and only the court itself knew that Zuko had been banished. Besides that small population people believed that the prince had gone away to be taught privately. The other nobles feared that if they tried to marry her the general public would clue into the banishment which in turn could cause problems for them with the Fire Lord. It was much easier just to pretend that she was still engaged. However her parents were now aware that they needed to keep the family name and to do so they needed to marry her to a son of a lesser noble so that he would take on her name and their lineage would continue on. Her parents would have become even more insistent, even eventually forcing her into a marriage if it hadn't been for the birth of her brother. With Tom-tom her family's name would live on. Once again she was a child that didn't matter, which she discovered she actually preferred. Her parents ignoring her allowed Mai to live almost exclusively as she wanted as long as they didn't hear about it.

"Yes, I'm so sorry to hear about your son." Judging from the dull, uninterested tone in Azula's voice she really didn't care. She was going through the motions of sympathy but clearly wasn't fully engaged in it.

"But really," the fourteen year old princess continued, "what did you expect allowing all the citizens to leave?" Mai could feel the atmosphere crackle with energy, gaining a strange scent which she associated to lightning.

"My father trusted you with this city and you're making a mess of things!" Mai looked blankly at Azula, her stomach churning worriedly. She knew that she didn't have the best family and that they didn't think much of her but they were her family, even if they didn't care. Besides, she wouldn't wish Azula's wrath on anyone except her enemies and those few suitors. In those cases having Azula around was extremely helpful. Her father practically kissed the ground.

"Forgive me princess." Mai felt an emotion well up inside of her that she hadn't felt for a long time. Pity. Her father was scared, devastated at the loss of his son and worried that he would lose the position that he had worked so hard to gain. Her father wasn't a bad man, he had treated the people well, making sure to separate those with the plague and run them out of town. There had been no way to know that it was a trick, the fear that followed the word plague stopped any questions in their tracks. A plague could completely destroy an entire city in a matter of days, there had been no way he could have known. Azula though, didn't seem to be capable of empathy anymore and she looked down at Mai's father with the cool, calculative gaze of one counting bags of grain for the winter months.

"You stay here. Mai will handle the hostage trade so you don't have a chance to mess it up." Mai looked at Azula blankly. She had a suspicion that there was another reason that Azula was doing this herself. She had a plan, ever since she had begun private training with her father Azula always had a plan.

"And there is no more 'Omashu'. I'm renaming this city in honour of my father, the City of New Ozai." Mae felt dread well up inside her. Azula was defiantly planning something. The question was what was it?

* * *

As they approached Mai took her chance to really look at the others who had come to make the trade with them. To her surprise they were four teenagers, close to the same age as Azula and herself. Two boys and two girls. The first boy, the one in the front was wearing orange and yellow, unusual colours for someone of earth kingdom birth. His skin was very pale and he wore an orange turban and held a wooden staff. He had to be the youngest of the group there. The next boy looked to be older than the former he had dark skin, blue clothes and held Tom-tom in his arms. Mai felt herself relax every so slightly to see her brother safe from harm. The first girl looked like the boy who held Tom-tom. She too wore blue clothes and had dark hair and skin. The last girl though intrigued Mai. She wore a green dress, supported by thick leather armour around her arms, chest and legs. Her hair was pulled into a short braid that flipped over her shoulder and choppy bangs fell unevenly around her face. She was the only one who carried obvious weapons as well, a bow and slung over her right shoulder and a quiver of arrows peeked above her left shoulder. She was also clearly the oldest in the group, a woman instead of a girl.

Mai ignored the insane king as he was lowered down in his metal prison, keeping her eyes on the ones who held her brother.

"We're ready to trade!" The boy with the turban called, stepping forward with a sense of power that most kids his age didn't have. A creeping suspicion that something wasn't quite what it seemed to be came to Mai causing her to peer more closely at those across the platform from them.

"I'm sorry but a thought just occurred to me, do you mind?" Mai felt dread drop into her stomach like a stone but she kept her voice light and airy.

"Of course not princess Azula." She hoped Azula hadn't noticed how false that sentence sounded.

"We're trading a two year old for a king. A powerful, earthbending king." The dread was growing slowly larger as Mai realized exactly what her plan was. Fine, she would play Azula's little game but she was also going to do everything she could to get her brother back as well.

"It just doesn't sound like a fair trade, does it?" Azula was testing her, testing her loyalty to the princess, Mai knew it. At one time Azula would have never felt the need to test Ty Lee and Mai for loyalty but that had changed, Mai hadn't seen Azula in over two years, not since her brother left. Not since the day she cried. This was a different Azula and it wasn't one she liked. Still, she had to go with it.

"You're right," Mai replied stepping forward to call out when she noticed something. The positions of the group in front of them had changed. She could tell that something had happened while they had talked. The question was, what was it that had changed?

"The deal's off!" She called, projecting her voice and deciding to ignore the change for now. She shouldn't have. Mai had barely finished the words when they sprang into action. The pale boy came tearing straight at the old king and the boy with Mai's brother took off in the opposite direction. Mai stared in shock, how could anyone have expected this enough to react that quickly? It shouldn't have been possible, not even she had known what Azula was about to do. She threw herself into battle, long distance being her forte, however they also had someone who had a long distance weapon. Mai raised her hand to throw one of her daggers when an arrow slid by, nicking her finger. The stranger had missed but it had been a close call if she had been aiming for Mai's hand. Mai was distracted from the archer by the girl in blue waterbending at her.

The battle was over as quickly as it had begun by the second boy returning and calling his sister and friend up onto a giant bison with an arrow marking on its fur.

Mai stood there, ridged as they flew off. Ty Lee came to stand beside her, frowning up at the flying bison vanishing into the clouds. The avatar's bison. The boy with the turban had been the avatar. Mia's mind though was focused on the strange girl.

"She knew." Ty Lee murmured, causing Mai to look at her in surprise.

"Knew what?" Mai asked, unsure of where her friend was going with this. Ty Lee looked at her, a serious expression in her eyes.

"She knew that I could attack her pressure points and she knew I was going to attack the waterbender from behind. Mai, no one knows how we fight, no one except Azula. This girl did." Mai frowned, deep in thought. Who was that girl?

* * *

As they walked away from New Ozai Mai couldn't help but clarify who they were going to chase. Iroh and Zuko had been named traitors and were wanted alive inside the capitol.

"So, we're tracking down your brother and Uncle?" She asked. Ty Lee grinned turning to look at Mai.

"It'll be interesting seeing Zuko again, won't it Mai?" Mai hid her true feelings under a fake smile. Yes it would have been nice to see Zuko but she didn't want to see him in chains.

"It's not just Zuko and Iroh anymore." Azula corrected, "We have another target." Mai didn't have to ask Azula who it was. No one crossed Azula and got away with it. Not even the avatar and a earth kingdom archer.

_"I'll never see him again Mai, not that I care. Who needs an older brother who fails at everything? Still, getting that boat for him was great. False hope of course, he'll never have a shot at catching the avatar." eleven year old Azula told her friend. Twelve year old Mai frowned, was that a tear running down Azula's cheek? Was the unbreakable princess actually crying for her brother? Mai allowed her eyes to leave her friend, deciding that she would never know if she had truly seen tears from Azula. Outside the window, soft cherry flowers blossomed signifying that spring had arrived. _

Mai sighed softly, thinking of those old times hurt far more than she cared to admit. But if there had been one thing she could have changed, she wished she could have changed Azula and allowed her best friend to remain the same person she had been before. What would have happened if Azula had never bent blue fire? What would have happened if she had never been taken under her father's private tutelage. Would she have been any different at all?


	2. Girl Time

Chapter 2: Girl Time

Rated T, Takes place sometime after chapter 1 Earthquake (for the first section) and Chapter 31 Exhaustion (second section) in Change the World

Prompt from DjpaigeDJ: Maybe you can include a certain monthly thing for Maddison and Katara seeing as they are girls.

Well here it is Djpaige, I hope you like it.

* * *

_Maddi _

It wasn't to long after I lost the 'cast' on my arm that my body began giving me not so subtile signs that my time of month was approaching. My 'warning signs' often came only a day or so before my actual period so I had no time to loose. Nervously, I approached Kanna as some of the other women headed out to gather the snow needed for the day. My face red and hot in embarrassment. Kanna took one look at my anxious expression and thick blush before sighing.

"Come here Maddison, I'll show you what you need." I nodded and trotted after the elderly woman, face still burning. You're being stupid girl, I berated myself as we crossed the village to an igloo, its part of life nothing to be embarrassed about.

Kanna ducked into the igloo and I followed her, dropping down to all fours to crawl through the small opening. Pushing the heavy animal skin aside I crawled in and stood, watching as Kanna went diving through her medical remedies. Finally she turned, a thick wad of bandages in her hands. She then handed them to me. I stared at the bandages, baffled by them and looked up at Kanna, a pleading look in my eyes. Kanna sighed.

"I don't know how the earthkingdom women do this but I suppose I'll have to show you." My face, which had just begun to return to its normal colour changed colour to match a firetruck. I stuttered out something unintelligent and turned even more red. Kanna meanwhile was looking at me like I was a child who had shown off and got hurt because of it. Sceptical and without a hint of pity.

"Take off your clothes." Head bowed in humiliation I did as I was told. Kanna spared my dignity by handing me the clothes, her eyes fixed firmly to mine and instructed me on how to put the bandages on. I followed orders without question, the fire in my face slowly smouldering into non-existence. It was strange how paranoid I was about my body compared to the women here in the South Pole. They didn't seem to care about seeing each other naked or talking about things that would make most north americans uncomfortable. I was pretty sure that I had seen two of the women comparing breast sizes before they put their clothes on after bathing.

The bandages formed a belt with a thick padding to wrap around and under. It felt like I was wearing some kind of diaper but I understood the practicality of it. It didn't mean I had to like it though.

* * *

It was late at night when I was woken up by a quiet plaintive tone. Somehow all my friends know I was the lightest sleeper in the group so I would often wake up when they had nightmares, problems sleeping or midnight snacks. It got to the point where they didn't even bother to be really quiet since unlike me, everyone else slept like the dead. Still I wasn't often woken by a hand on my shoulder and a voice asking for me.

"Maddi? Maddi, wake up." I blinked and sat up with a sigh, turning I found myself face to face with Toph.

"Toph?" I asked incredulous. Nothing woke Toph in the middle of the night. She didn't have nightmares like any of us yet and she wasn't the type to just get up in the middle of the night either. This was way out of character.

"What's wrong?" Toph's pale face turned red in the cheeks, she was a pretty blusher not like me. When I blushed my entire face matched a firetruck.

"I need to talk to you... alone."

"Sure." I replied, completely confused. What was going on with Toph, why was she acting so weird? Toph led me away into the forest until she was comfortable with the distance between us and everyone else. Then she turned, face to the ground. Hiding her face behind her thick bangs.

"I'm... I'm scared." Confusion bubbled from within me. What was happening?

"What's wrong?" I asked, was Toph having nightmares? She hadn't experienced anyone dying, she had no reason unless it was just a regular nightmare. For the first time in my life I felt myself long for the nightmares when I was a girl. They didn't involve people who I had killed.

"I'm... I'm bleeding." Alarm flared through me. I needed to know if she was hurt.

"Where! Toph tell me." Face still blushing prettily, Toph pointed. I blinked then it hit me. Toph was twelve years old. The same age I had been when I started. I couldn't help it, the smallest chuckle passed through my lips. Instantly Toph was on the defence.

"It's not funny!"

"You're right, it isn't. I'm sorry Toph... Didn't your mom ever tell you about this? Your the right age. My mom talked to me when I was... oh I don't know... eight or nine I guess."

"No, talk to me about... this is normal?" The sheer disgust, incredulous tone and wrinkle in her nose almost sent me laughing again.

"Yes, sadly. It means that your..." I took a deep breath. Was I going to have to go into the entire talk with Toph? Katara had known since she was old enough to comprehend where babies came from and apparently it wasn't to long after she had started bending. I guess when you're a family of four sharing one tent things like that aren't really kept a secret.

"It means that your body is maturing and that you're starting to become a woman... Toph the bleeding means that you're able to have children. It's something that every woman goes through. It starts at different ages depending on the girl but the average is twelve and it goes on until you're an old woman."

"Babies?" I sighed and started explaining. I found myself using the same terms my mother had. I explained it all as straightforward as I could. I didn't use animals or plants I used actual humans and bodies to explain. I could feel a blush creeping up over my own face but I kept going. Toph needed to know this, it was part of life for a woman and there was no way that she could avoid it. After I was finished Toph just stood there, gobsmacked before finally stating.

"I don't want to be a girl anymore."

This time I did laugh.


	3. Glowing Crystals

Chapter 3: Glowing Crystals

"What do you mean we need to get rid of the torch?" I sighed as Sokka protectively held the large stick of wood.

"If we ever want to get out I highly recommend it. Either that or we should have brought some musical instruments." I pointed out. Sokka made a strange face.

"What is wrong with this cave?"

"Its the cave of two lovers," I responded, "if you want I'll tell you the legend."

"That sounds nice," Katara grinned at me while Sokka groaned.

"No! No more romantic stories! I've heard to many already!" I sniggered while Aang innocently wandered up to Sokka.

"There's nothing wrong about a romantic legend, Sokka." Aang pointed out with a big grin. Sokka faked a pout and I used the distraction to take the torch and shove it into the soil, effectively turning out the lights. There was a loud uncomfortable moan from Appa and Aang's quiet soothing before the blackness slowly lightened into a pale green glow. Above us a long trail of crystals stretched into the distance.

"Wow." Katara whispered, looking up in awe of the gems.

"What are those?" Sokka asked, the torch forgotten.

"I don't know." I admitted with a silly grin. The cave was beautiful when basked in those lights. I found myself wondering if they worked when taken out of the cave and if these were the same glowing crystals that took residence below the earth palace.

"So what's this 'romantic legend' about anyway?" Sokka asked. I could almost hear the air quotes. Sniggering I began to tell the tale.

"It is about the forming of Omashu. There were two villages who for generations had fought with each other. One day two people, one from each town met but instead of hating each other the two fell in love."

"Seriously!" Sokka complained. Katara shushed him, glaring at her clueless brother.

"The two decided to run away together and came here to the caves and here they learned how to earthbend from the badger moles, who have a fascination for music." I garnered a confused look from Sokka at the last comment.

"Cool!" Aang chirped, sounding honestly excited at the prospect.

"Anyway," I continued, "they returned to their villages and continued to meet here, using these stones to guide them to each other. No one else would allow themselves to walk alone in a cave in the dark so they knew that they would always be able to loose anyone who tried to follow. Well one day the man was sent to war... and he died." Katara sucked a deep breath in, shock written across her features. Apparently this worlds version of Romeo and Juliet was not a story she enjoyed. Actually I needed to tell them that story too sometime, after all it was a key piece of literature from my world.

"Well the woman was so angry that she used her bending to scare the two villages but instead of destroying both like she could have she instead she built a new home for both villages to live as one. The woman's name was Oma, the man's shu so the city was named Omashu in honour of them. The woman's grave lies down here along with her beloved's so they were not even separated by death." There was silence for a moment before Sokka spoke.

"That's a strange story."

"Actually it makes sense in a way," Aang pointed out, "Omashu is its own city-state and the king is always the most powerful earthbender after the previous king dies. The king has to remain strong because if someone challenges him and he loses the fight the winner becomes king. Omashu is a city that prides strength." I stared at Aang for a moment.

"And yet you decided to challenge the King of Omashu last time we came here?"

"I thought he was at the end of his reign!" Aang cried before continuing in a softer voice. "Besides, only earthbenders can become king, my battle with him would have just shown he was weak and made someone else challenge him." We lasped into silence. It allowed me to think some. The tale of Oma and Shu was interesting and more for just the warring tale. Something that I had said made me think. Because of Oma two warring villages were able to find peace through love. I wondered if that was another reason that people liked Zatura so much besides the opposites attract concept. Shaking off the thought to consider another time I spoke.

"Have I ever told you guys the story of Romeo and Juliet?"

"Not another romantic tale! Pala!" Sokka cried while the rest of us laughed at his tortured expression.


	4. Bloopers

Bloopers

PK wandered around, handing out the scripts for chapter 49. She hoped it was good as she had just pushed through three days of writers block to create it. Only one person was not given a script, Toph, as Katara or one of the others would read the blind girl her lines and teach them to her that way. She could feel the glares of the characters on her back as soon as she turned away from them. They were angry for being 'ignored' for so long and they had every right to. Still, with the writers block and the sudden transition to the life of a university student she had every right to have taken this long. At least, that's what she told herself. Inside she felt awful. She loved both her characters and readers. Sighing she stepped away. Praying that this script would be good.

* * *

"Action!"

Maddi stared quietly at the fire during dinner. The entire group were all quiet, barely any noise at all. The deaths had created a heavy burden for them, it was hard to justify all we did, for so many to die.

Over the last three days nightmares had spread like a virus among us. We were kids, young adults at best and yet here we were in the middle of a war... killing and trying to stop others from dying. Death seemed to be everywhere. It haunted our real lives and our dreams. All to often Maddi woke up several times in one night, only to see that Katara had 'gone on a walk', or hear the change in breathing as one of her companions woke from a nightmare, only to desperately pretend that they were still asleep for the others who were undoubtedly awake during that time but pretending as they were. Only a few of them were not effected. Jet seemed to be getting perfect sleep, not caring about those who died at all, and Su Sen who had lived through many battles and had killed so often it was second nature. The rest of the group weren't so lucky. Each of them had tried to find ways to lessen the effects of the nightmares. For Aang, Katara, Smellerbee and Longshot sleeping with their respective companion had eased the dreams. Toph seemed to be effected less then some of the others and only needed to pull up the rock tent to sleep peacefully, or perhaps she was just using it to hide.

The sound of a wooden spoon hitting a tree caused me to look up from Maddi's bowl. Zuko was looking down at everyone, eyes flicking around.

"What are we doing?" He snarled. Maddi blinked in surprise.

"Zuko? I don't-" He snarled causing her to back off quickly.

"What are we doing?" He asked again. Everyone was watching him now, confusion mirrored in their eyes. Toph began to snigger.

"Toph what-"

"I can't believe the author made you say that!" Toph howled, falling over off the log she was sitting on, clutching her sides in pain from laughter. Less then a few seconds later everyone else joined them with the exception of Zuko and Maddi.

"Really?" Maddi asked, glancing at Zuko in exasperation.

"Its better then some things I've read off a script, but for this author its pretty bad." Zuko agreed.

"I didn't think-" Maddi started.

"You're her OC, you wouldn't think her writing's bad." Zuko pointed out a small smile playing across his lips.

"Oh shut up." Maddi huffed. Before a smile ran across her face.

* * *

Take 2

"What are we doing?" He snarled. Maddi blinked in surprise.

"Zuko? I don't-" He snarled causing her to back off quickly.

"What are we doing?" He asked again. Everyone was watching him now, confusion mirrored in their eyes.

"Stop moping," he hissed at Aang who looked shocked at Zuko's words but the fire nation prince wasn't done.

"Those people may have died needlessly but that's why we're fighting! To stop this war and stop the deaths! You're all acting like you thought this would be easy! Its war for Agni's sakes!" He threw up his hands, eyes sharp. Su Sen's eyes brightened and he placed his bowl down beside Katara.

"Zuko's right, these deaths shouldn't deter us, if we stop fighting they really would have died for no purpose, fight and we'll be honouring them." A few half-hearted smiles passed around the fire. There wasn't any more inspirational speech but it picked up the mood. Zuko though wasn't done.

"Maddi," he sat down beside me, "I'm sorry." Maddi gaped at Zuko in shock. What on earth was he apologizing for?

"Zuko-" A laugh burbled out from one of the people back at the fireplace. Maddi turned, suddenly glaring.

"Really?"

"I'm sorry, its too corny." Katara giggled. She clasped her hands together and attempted to copy Maddi's voice.

"Oh Zuko, I'm so sad, all these deaths are my fault and I'm full of angst-"

"I don't sound like that!" Maddison cried.

"Sounded perfect to me," Toph sniggered.

* * *

Next scene

"No way." Princess Kassie groaned and shoved the paper back at Katara.

"Just read the script, I know it isn't my best work-"

"You've made me seem like a crybaby with an attitude problem-" Katara began only to be cut off by PK.

"Just read the script you don't have to like it!" With an angry glance at the waterbender the author in question stormed off set.

"And action."

After the group finished eating Katara and Maddi cleaned the dishes in silence. Things were awkward between the two girls again and for good reason. Maddi was still hurt by those words Katara had said and they had made the nightmares almost unbearable. Rubbing a handful of sand through the dish thoroughly Maddi noticed the fourteen-year-old waterbender glance at her.

"Maddi." She looked at Katara in shock, this was the first thing Katara had said to her since their fight.

"I'm... sorry." A wave of resentment rushed through Maddi. What right did the waterbender have to be 'sorry', she had been having horrific nightmares every night because Katara had dredged up memories that Maddi had almost successfully repressed.

"Fine." The nonbender muttered coldly. She noticed Katara's expression change from hopeful to crushed. Katara knew she wasn't forgiven. Sighing Maddi turned.

"It's not that easy," Maddi finally admitted, "I can't 'just forgive you', but... I'll try." Katara nodded, accepting the older girl's words as the best she was going to get. Maddi may have been the older one and she should have taken a more mature path but it had hurt and it was still hurting because Katara had been right. It was her fault that those people were dead.

"I guess sometimes its hard to remember just how stupid the author is to make us say this." Katara admitted, before taking another glance at the script.

"Damn it Katara! Cut!"

* * *

PK glanced around the set. It was completely abandoned from any of the characters.

"Hello?" She called. No reply. Grunting in frustration she stormed off the set to go character hunting. They had been fighting her every step of the way with this chapters script and with not only adjusting to another time zone in addition to University life verses high school she didn't have the time or the patience to put up with any more of this.

She walked into her room which was dark besides a brilliant light from her computer screen, the perfect environment for a writer on the internet. Then the light flipped on. All the main characters were there from the Gaang, to Jet and the freedom fighters to her own OC's.

"What's going on, you should be on set."

"We're on strike." Sokka stated. PK stared at them.

"No seriously, get back to work, there's only six, maybe seven more chapters and this story is over!"

"Not happening." Maddi determined, "We hate this script and until you rewrite it we're not doing this chapter, plain and simple.

"But the readers-"

"They'll thank us in the end." Jet stated, "unless you want to loose them all you won't show this pathetic quality of work." PK stared at them silently before throwing her hands up in the air.

"Fine, but no more fighting me until this story is done. Okay?" The group nodded and sat down, waiting for the author to begin a new script. Hopefully one that showed more promise then the last one.


	5. Choosing

Choosing

_Rated T, how and why Agni chose Azula, as well as a little on why La chose Katara._

* * *

Agni stared down at the fire nation children running about below her, today she had decided to choose her 'blessed' one. The child who would become the best firebender of this generation. There were so many options, as there always was.

"Having trouble deciding?" Agni turned, a smile crossing her face.

"La. Its a pleasure." Agni stated cooly, her dress snapping as she turned to face the deity of the moon.

La raised a single white eyebrow, clearly disagreeing.

"I suppose it is." She relented before staring down.

"You still haven't chosen your pick?" She asked. Agni bristled, her hair flaring out.

"Not yet. There are many to decide from." She replied.

La shrugged, appearing disinterested in the topic.

"I have already chosen mine. Would you care to see?" Agni frowned, what was La doing? She and La had never been on good terms with one another; partially because they were opposite elements, and partially because La had a ridiculously large ego.

When she didn't answer La shrugged, the image of a little girl appearing in her hand. Water tribe of course. The little girl was using her waterbending to soak her frustrated older brother who was shouting at her.

"Her name is Katara. She holds the potential to be a great waterbender as well as a good leader." La smiled.

Agni suddenly understood.

"You want a bet." She stated out loud. It wasn't uncommon for spirits to bet on events that would occur in the human world, the spirit world did become boring after a time.

"Of course, not only which chosen one has the best ability, the most control over their technique, but one who would also be a wonderful leader." La's dark eyes bore into Agni's gold ones.

"What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Agni stared at La for a moment before taking the moon spirit's hand.

"Deal."

Agni carefully looked through the children that she could choose. Most of them, had the potential for talent but it was the leadership that was difficult.

Her eyes settled on Princess Azula, the six-month old child of Ozai and Ursa. It had been said that a child from that union would be powerful, and Zuko had little to no talent for firebending. Staring at Azula she realized with a jolt that the girl had quite the potential for leadership. She would be a cold, but fair leader, doing what was best for her nation. She would not be influenced by sentiment, she had a sharp mind, an already powerful ability for fire bending. She would be a prodigy among prodigies. Smiling, Agni reached down, blessing the child.

Back on the planet Azula sneezed a cloud of smoke.

* * *

Fourteen years later

Agni lowered her head as Azula was taken away. That girl had such potential but her father had ruined it, turning the child into his puppet. Azula had never had the chance to think for herself after her brother left the fire nation, and that had finally manifested in a psychotic break.

"I believe I win." La stated, strutting in like a peacock. Agni spun, her clothes snapping loudly, spinning in anger.

"I have yet to see Katara take a role of leadership. Azula had a strong hand at leadership, even if it was for a short time." Agni snapped.

"But you do not deny that Katara is the stronger bender?"

"I do not know, only that Azlua was not at her peak when she fought the avatar." Agni replied shortly. She turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" La snapped, angered.

"It is clear who won the bet. I am leaving for a while to grieve. I will see you later."


	6. The Price of Humanity

The Price of Humanity

Rated T, placed after the second reincarnation of the Avatar, (after Wan). The backstory as to why Lung is the way he is.

* * *

_Lung_

I stared out over the world of the humans, watching my people. I had held a great fascination in humans for a long time but I rarely interacted with one. I was watching a small air bending village, in particular one young man. I wasn't sure what had brought on such fascination but I could not tear myself away from watching him.

His name was Kwan, and he was nineteen years old. His hair was tightly curled so it stood above his head in a halo, his grey eyes always seemed to sparkle, although I did not understand why.

I watched him for two human years, as finally he left his village and mother, stating that he wished to find himself a wife. He packed his bags and left that day. I watched him, confused. This day his eyes did not sparkle, he seemed downcast. Strange behaviour from one who had asked his family for permission to seek a wife. I had seen many men in the village leave for a wife, returning days, weeks, or even months later with a girl on their arm. Those men always left with purpose, nervousness, but never such... dread.

I had become attached to this young man. Gently I sent a warm wind to surround him, encourage him. Whatever made him so sad I... I wanted his eyes to sparkle again.

The warm wind surrounded him as he left the village. He raised his curly head and looked up.

"The spirits are looking upon me." He murmured. I felt a strange tingling run through me. Wincing I rubbed my chest. Sprits didn't feel emotions as humans did, the emotions were greatly muted. It was why if a spirit chose to remain in the human world they had to remain as an animal, not a human. Animals too had muted emotions, although a great deal more powerful then a spirits.

Kwan continued his trek, but away from any village that I knew of. My curiosity won over. I carefully chose a form of a young man, a few years older than Kwan.

In less than a second I was standing before him. The young man jumped in shock, his eyes widening as he stared at me. He just looked at me for a time, eyes wide before finally stuttering out a question.

"W...who are you?" The words for my introduction were on my lips, but they failed.

"I'm Senge, who are you?" The lie burned in my mouth but my heart, strangely, did not regret it.

"Kwan," he replied, his eyes taking in my entire form. I had chosen the appearance of a young man about twenty-five human years old. My eyes were more blue than grey and I was bald, though I had no tattoo of a monk.

"A pleasure. Would you care to share your meal with a stranger?" I asked. Why was I speaking such? I had just wanted to ask him why he was traveling away from any village for miles, instead of towards another. Why would a man travel so far for merely a wife?

"Of course." I took a seat beside him, taking the bread. As I ate the thing turned to ash within my mouth, just as all food did for spirits. When we were finished we didn't move, instead, stepping into conversation.

"May I ask why you were wandering through here? You are of age where you would go to seek a wife but all the villages I know are not in this direction." I asked.

Kwan laughed bitterly.

"I told my family that I was looking for a wife but that is not what I am looking for." I tilted my head to the side, trying to understand the puzzle of the man who sat beside me.

"Then what do you seek? Glory? Power? Knowledge?" I questioned.

Kwan shook his head.

"No one would understand."

"Try me." I suggested, leaning back. I was an ancient deity after all, there was little I had not seen of this world.

"I... I do seek love but not the love of a woman." I blinked and sat up. I understood what Kwan was looking for now. There were few men in the generations of humanity that had lived up to this time who looked for male partners. I did not understand it, but no spirit could. We were incapable of love.

"I see." I stated thoughtfully.

"Are you not angry? Will you not attack me?" Kwan barked, bristling to a stand.

I shook my head.

"And why would I attack you for loving a man? There is little wrong with it. You may not be able to produce a child but that is of little matter to me." I replied, standing and dusting myself off. It was annoying how the ground stuck to clothes. Sighing I took a great breath and blew my brother's element from my clothes.

"You are a strange monk." Kwan stated, shaking his head as he relaxed once again.

"Would you care if I joined you on your journey?" He asked me. I watched him carefully. I had to admit that I was fascinated by this young man.

* * *

Two more years passed, Kwan and I grew close. My curiosity for humans was only growing. I wanted to experience what they did, but to do so I would break one of the greatest laws in the spirit world.

I did it anyway.

The feelings! There was no words that could describe them. It was like living an entire lifetime as a husk and suddenly I was full. I could feel my own wind, my brother's earth, the cold bite of water. The beauty of moon and sun. It was all opened to me. Food no longer turned to dust in my mouth, but retained form and flavour! Flavour! Another experience that there was no description for.

Days after my change from spirit to human Kwan came to me at night.

" Senge, you have... been by my side for two years... why?" I sat up from under my blanket. Warmth, cold, every feeling, even pain was new and a joyous experience for me.

"I was curious and I... had strange feelings for you." I admitted. Even now, I had no descriptions for the feelings I felt for Kwan. Kwan's eyes grew wide.

"Please... Senge, tell me what you feel." So I told him. I told him how I worried when his eyes did not sparkle, how my body warmed at his touch, how I had secretly desired to stay at his side. Once I had become human I had been able to once again experience the feelings I had before and this time full strength.

"I desire the same." Kwan whispered, crawling under my blanket with me.

Kwan and I returned to his village that year.

There was no village to be found.

Instead what had been Kwan's homeland was destroyed beyond recognition. The wail of pain that tore through my lover's throat seemed to rip a hole straight through my all-too-human heart. In that moment I swore that only the air nation would continue on. The others were brutes, they deserved to be destroyed. Destroyed the same way they destroyed the sparkle in Kwan's eyes.

* * *

Another year passed, and I became the Emperor of the Tornado People, my group of soldiers and warriors who would destroy the other savage nations. Kwan was my consort and second-in-command. His eyes had become cold-steel but if I worked hard I could bring the sparkle back into his eyes... for just a moment.

I stood on a tall hill, my head lifted high. Pride pulsed through me, giving me strength and power, more than I had ever known. Below me an army of earth nation men stood shaking at my feet. I could flick my hand and they would be little more than dust. I smirked, using the sword was more fun, I would be able to feel their death coming.

"To me!" I shouted, my voice amplified so that everyone in the valley heard it ring, my heart raced, "to me! My empire!" Behind me my warriors screamed, already prepared for triumph. Energy and excitement rushed through me as we charged.

Battle was an expression of beauty I had never experienced before this year. To be living flesh and bone instead of spirit was thrilling and addicting. I never wished to stop breathing. Breath, what gave humans their life and without me, breath and life would cease. I was the sole reason life existed. My people were the only nation who deserved to live.

"Lung, this has gone far enough." I turned, a thrill of excitement coursed through me. The other elementals stood behind me, not one looked happy. Agni looked furious, her hair blazed brilliantly, heat radiated from her form. Tui and La even stopped their eternal love-hate relationship for one to send identical glares at me. I turned slightly. To my left was Prithvi. My brother was glaring at me, but there was also disappointment in his eyes. I couldn't bring myself to care. I had almost defeated one corner of the wheel.

"Come brother," he stated, his voice, gravely as a mountain, "you've had your fun, it is time to return to our world." My joy turned to anger as heat rushed over me, which only strengthened my determination. I would never return to the spirit world, never. Kwan was my world now.

"No. Join me," I persuaded, "you do not know what it is like to live. To feel a heart, for food to taste, to breathe or feel the warmth of a fire! It is the most beautiful thing. Compared to the humans our lives are empty husks. I might as well have never felt anything before and you just want me to return to you? Just like that?" Both fear and anger were courting with me. Emotions, to feel emotions was the greatest blessing being human had brought me. Prithvi however looked wary.

"Brother, you do not know what you're saying. You can only be human for so long, once this form is dead that will be the end."

"Not if I become like Ravaa!" I cried excitedly, "Just think spirits and humans living as one!" I did not care if I took over another human, Kwan and I would stay together. I would find some way to keep him immortal. He would live with me, and maybe as the years passed I could restore the sparkle in his eyes.

"He's gone insane," La muttered, "humans cannot live with spirits inside them." She turned to me, black eyes drawing all light to them, "And Raavaa was different Lung, she had no choice. If it were to happen again she would not have been so foolish." My fear had lost overpowering, infuriating anger was all I had left and I embraced the emotion letting it guide my body, take control of my being.

"I'll show you, I'll show you all!" I turned, to come face to face with a man. He was in his fifties and covered in wrinkles. My anger was still to great to be replaced by fear, even though I knew him. This man was the one whom Raavaa had joined, this man was the one called the avatar.

The next thing I knew I was back in the spirit world.

"NO!" I screamed, agony tearing through me. No, no no... no. My agony was fading away but I held onto it for dear life. Determined I threw myself at the earth, staring down at it. I could not pass into it, it was a solid wall between myself and the world.

I could only watch as my people were thrown backwards, destroyed by the earth nation filth. I could only watch as Kwan wailed over my body before he took his own life.

No matter what I would never forgive the others, no matter what I would never regret my choices. I would never regret the life I had lived with Kwan, and his sparkling grey eyes.


	7. Childhood

This, unfortunately, didn't make it into Life Never Ends and was the original beginning of Ch. 3 for that story. As I love this way too much I have posted it here.

_132 AG, Year of the Dog_

_Sokka _

"Ha! I got you Hayoda!" The black haired, gold eyed boy shouted, landing on top of the watertribe boy.

"Get off of me!" Hayoda shouted back, equally loud. An evil grin crossed the boy's face and he flipped over, landing on the fire nation boy's stomach and then pelting him in the face with waterbent splashes.

"Mom! Hayoda's waterbending!" The fire nation boy shrieked. Maddison sighed and stood, calling out to where her son was getting soaked by mine.

"Su Sen, if you hadn't started it he wouldn't be soaking you."

I laughed at Su Sen's put out expression as the two boys continued to wrestle across the grass. Maddi sighed and sat down, shaking her head at her son's antics.

"He's so energetic." She muttered. I chuckled, causing her to send me a teasing glare.

"And what are you laughing about Mr. Councilman?" She asked, a smile twitching at the edges of her mouth.

"Just wondering how you and I both ended up babysitting."

"Right, and it's not that your son is beating up mine?" She added dryly.

"What can I say? He's got his father's talent."

"But his aunt's water bending." She replied before her face became serious. Maddi's eyes flicked over the garden.

"Is something wrong?" I asked

"Its too quiet. Where's Lu Ten and Lin?" She replied. The answer was given in seconds. There was a rumble of earth and a very familiar looking fire nation boy came running, gold eyes wide.

"Come back here you-" A little girl screamed running after the terrified older boy. Both children stopped at the sight of the two adults standing in front of them. Maddi as well as myself, arms crossed.

"He/she did it." The two pointed at each other quickly. Maddi just sighed and did a headcount.

"Ten. We're good." Once she was sure that all children were accounted for she turned to the two guilty children standing before her.

"So what happened? Lu Ten?" Su Sen's identical twin shifted uncomfortably at his mother's piercing gaze.

"I was just teasing her and Lin pushed me. I accidentally set fire to a bush. But she pushed me!"

"And I put it out."

"You destroyed the bush!"

"So? I got rid of the fire." Maddi groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Bumi, please tell me that nothing has happened with the little ones. Please."

"They're fine aunt Maddi." Bumi stated, laughing as he hauled three year old Suyen Be Fong off the ground, slung her over his shoulder and walked over to us, Maddi's youngest child, Kai, trailing behind.

"I think it's time I tell everyone a story," I started and instantly all the kids were gathered around in a perfect semi-circle, eyes wide and clearly excited.

"You couldn't have done that an hour ago?" Maddi asked dryly, pulling her youngest daughter onto her lap. Kai glared at her mother and wiggled out of her grip, soft, light brown hair falling into her eyes. Maddi sighed and began to braid the long strands while I began.

"So what story should I tell?" I asked out loud.

"Oh! Oh! Tell us about the giant leopard-seal!" Bumi begged.

"Boring! How about-" Su Sen began but was cut off.

"What happened after the Harmony Restoration Movement was ended?" Lin asked. She hadn't heard about the battle that had occurred afterwards, Toph preferred to fill her children in on her own adventures. I glanced around at the children once again, taking in their seating positions.

Bumi, my sister's oldest son was holding Toph's youngest daughter in his lap while she tried to earthbend herself a stone to chew on. Kya and Izumi, Katara and Maddi's daughters sat side by side. The two were close, not only relationship wise but they had been born only a few days apart. Tenzin, my sister's youngest child and only airbender sat quietly to the side, face serious. Sometimes I wondered if that boy ever smiled.

Su Sen and Lu Ten on the other hand, Maddi's twins, were full of energy and spirit, sometimes it was hard to keep either of them from fidgeting. Hayoda, my son, my pride and joy; and the only child that had survived to be born from the union between Suki and I, was nine years old and a waterbender like Katara. Lin Be Fong, Toph's eldest daughter had moved her place from beside Hayoda to sit beside Tenzin, glancing up at the boy out of the corner of her eyes. The last two children were Kai, Maddi's youngest daughter, at seven year old she had been the source of the most grey hairs between her parents. She worried her parents, mostly because much like Azula she was a prodigy, and that many of her personality traits reminded Zuko of his sister when she was younger.

I glanced at Suyen, Toph's youngest daughter. At only three years old she spent most of her time asking questions about the world or declaring that she would be a great 'medal' bender like her mother. Toph and I had been awkward around each other for a while after Suyen was born, our relationship unsure of how to progress from there. What made it worse was that neither of us could admit the truth of Suyen's heritage, to do so would bring dishonour to both of our families. Still, Maddi had figured it out and was the only one of the Gaang other than Toph and I who knew about Suyen's true heritage.

"A story about me and Toph huh?" I hummed, pretending to think very hard.

"Have I told you the story of Toph's metal bending academy?"

"Yes, and far too often," Tenzin replied while the others shook their heads. Bumi was grinning excitedly. The teenager groaned as I began the story.

"Well, it was after the first leg of the Harmony Restoration Movement was beginning to fall apart. I was sick of Katara and Aang's lover act so I decided to go with Toph to see her earth bending students..."


End file.
